Risks Associated with Geolocation

Geolocation is a useful function that can be exploited by criminals. It allows smart-phones, computers connected to the internet, etc., to be tracked to a specific location–not just coordinates on a map but to an actual street location.

While useful for navigating an unfamiliar suburb at night, it can be problematic in other applications. The geolocation function embeds data in digital photos, for example, which indicates exactly where a photo was taken. If the photo is uploaded to the internet, the embedded material can be “decoded” by criminals, providing them with more information than the user may have intended to reveal (e.g., the exact location of one’s house.)

It may be a good idea to switch off the geolocation function in the device’s settings, and turn it on only when needed.

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